Application of a Virtual Private Network to the Finnish Remote Environmental Monitoring System

One of the primary concerns of employing remote monitoring technologies for IAEA safeguards applications is the high cost of data transmission. Transmitting data over the Internet has been shown often to be less expensive than other data transmission methods. However, data security using the Internet has never been adequately demonstrated. The Virtual Private Network (VPN) has emerged as a solution to this problem. A field demonstration has been implemented to evaluate the use of Virtual Private Networks (via the Internet) as a means for data transmission. Evaluation points include security, reliability, and cost. The existing Finnish Remote Environmental Monitoring System, located at the STUK facility in Helsinki, Finland, is serving as the field demonstration system. Sandia National Laboratories established a Virtual Private Network between STUK Headquarters in Helsinki, Finland, and IAEA Headquarters in Vienna, Austria. Data from the existing STUK Remote Monitoring System can be viewed at the IAEA via this network.